(Editor's note: this information was provided by Project Paws Alive.)
Project Paws Alive, a local non-profit organization, has kicked-off its fund-raising effort to provide ballistic vests for Police K-9s with the City of Snellville Police Department.
The K-9 ballistic protective vests are bulletproof and stab-proof. These vests are cut from the same Kevlar® bulletproof cloth as their human partners, covering all the vital organs. Each body armor vest donated by Project Paws Alive is custom manufactured in order to fit the body shape and size of each K-9 police dog. The vests are designed so that the police dogs can wear the vests the entire time that they are working with their assigned handlers. They offer outstanding ballistic protection with ease of movement, breathe-ability and cooling comfort in a rigorously field-tested vest.
Many Law Enforcement K-9 Units do not have the budget to purchase these life-saving vests. Most agencies are prohibited from spending funds on equipment that is not for human officer use. All vests donated by Project Paws Alive meet current National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 06 ballistic regulations. All vests are bullet-proof and stab-proof and are NIJ level IIA ballistic protection and level III spike protection. These vests help protect the K-9s from gun shots, stabbings, and other blunt force trauma such as being kicked, punched, or beaten with a weapon or other dangerous object while on duty. These protective vests are a vital piece of equipment to protect law enforcement K-9s.
Please consider donating or becoming a sponsor today. Our goal is to raise $5,000. You may donate directly on the Project Paws Alive website: http://projectpawsalive.org/donate/ .
Hero K-9s are also available for purchase on our website and all proceeds go towards purchasing the K-9 vests needed for the City of Snellville and the City of Porterdale K-9s: http://projectpawsalive.org/k-9-heroes-fundraiser/
Checks can also be mailed to Project Paws Alive, 1911 Grayson Highway, Suite 8-158, Grayson, GA 30017. Please make all checks payable to Project Paws Alive.
Project Paws Alive Inc. is a Georgia non-profit organization that is 100% volunteer based, and raises funds to donate life-saving equipment to law enforcement and first responder agencies primarily in Georgia, and throughout the Southeast when applicable.
Project Paws Alive relies solely on donations and sponsors to provide the lifesaving equipment that agencies cannot afford. Our mission is to help public safety officials and first responders save the lives of domestic pets with specially designed pet oxygen mask recovery kits, and to provide stab & bullet proof protective vests to law enforcement K-9s. To donate, volunteer, or obtain more information about our organization please visit http://www.ProjectPawsAlive.org
M.A.Dawson
6:23 pm on Friday, October 12, 2012
Dogs are used to exploit the over-reach of corrupt cops. With Obama's economy, people better prioritize their spending on gas, food and all the other costs of living. Citizens are getting screwed with $200 tickets while cops speed around in Dodge Charges wasting gas and putting the public at risk. A vest for a DOG? I don't think so. Just get another mutt if the it gets shot for sticking it's nose where it doesn't belong.
D. Alexander
10:17 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
Please educate yourself before making inaccurate statements. This has nothing to do with politics, and Bush implemented police K-9 units. Police put the public at risk? Well then when you need emergency services feel free to call your local drug dealer for help. You clearly have no knowledge of what police encounter on a daily basis and you likely don't personally know a law enforcement officer. Regardless, you have turned a real need into a rambling about nothing to do with this editorial. Police K-9s are highly trained canines that are sent into extremely dangerous situations to try and prevent injury or death to their officer handlers. They find missing kids, defuse hostage situations, and detect explosives just to name few things. They are sticking their noses exactly where the police department tells them to. Shooting or otherwise injuring a police K-9 is a felony. These K-9s are not mutts and if you think so then let’s put you in a bite suit for a training day with them and maybe then we’ll care about what you have to say. This organization is trying to help out these K-9s and their officer handlers, of whom many are former military. These officers have to pay for everything themselves from the dog’s food to vet bills and they do not get reimbursed by their departments. As another reader commented, they have to beg the public for funds to do their jobs.This story is about doing something to help law enforcement keep our communities safe and deterring crime.
thcooper69
1:21 pm on Saturday, October 13, 2012
thats fine i will donate ! however i feel like are taxes should be raised to help pay for all the things law enforcement needs im so sic and tired of seeing cops and fire department officals begging for money at intersections jus to do there jobs !
fines to law breakers need to rise with inflation have u seen the cost of bullets lately ? dogs are jus an extension of law enforcement .they help find the drugs people hide in there cars that THAY deal .
drugs are dangerious to tha community the drivers that are on them do stupid stuff in THERE cars .like U turns on 78 across all lanes of traffiks . or ride down tha road with there lights off at nite causin a hazrd to tha community . -
Roger Long
2:40 pm on Saturday, October 13, 2012
You may want to save your money and spend it on a tutor.
D. Alexander
10:30 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
Yeah, some spellcheck would have helped but your points are valid. We can’t expect police to do their jobs without the proper equipment. We ask them to put their lives on the line but we don’t supply them with protective equipment. That makes no sense.